"There you are," Harry smiled as Hermione as she walked through the large crowd of Honeydukes to meet with them. "Where's you been? We saw you run off with Fred and George."

"We went to the Three Broomsticks," she replied casually as she ran her eyes across the shelves filled with some of her favorite candies.

"As in the three of you?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you socialize with the twins outside of detention?" he laughed.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Since they're nice to me. And they down fawn over our visitors," she turned back to the shelves.

"No one is fawning," Ron muttered.

"Everybody is fawning!" she shouted. She had no idea why she was so mad at Ron over that comment, but she was. She looked around, embarrassed that people were now staring at her. She quickly turned back to Ron and continued, much more quietly. "Every time anyone sees them they go all slackjawed and drool all over the place. You all act like you've never seen a girl before. Fred and George seem to be about the only people who aren't," she finished in a harsh whisper.

Ron simply glared at her. "You're overreacting. Aren't you the one who keeps talking about forming relationships with the other schools?"

"Yes, Ronald. But befriending them and drooling all over them are two totally different things," she crossed her arms. How dare he try to justify the way he was acting by using her own words.

"Can you two cool it?" Harry stepped between them. He regretted it as he felt both of their eyes burning on him now. "This is nothing to be getting mad at each other over. Please stop. If for nothing else, then for me. I need both of you two. This second task is going to be here before we know it. And I'm going to need you both behind me," he pleaded. He hated using the tournament, but he was desperate. He hated when they fought. It seemed as though every time they did, the time they spent not talking to each other was longer and longer.

Hermione huffed and walked away from them, running into Ginny on the other side of the shop. "Your brother is infuriating!"

"Always has been," she laughed. She knew exactly how Hermione was feeling. She had noticed Harry and the way he looked Cho. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone but Hermione. "It'll all go back to normal once they leave. We just have to hold out until then. You can always keep hanging out with the twins," she grinned.

"I don't think they'll want me tagging along with them for a year until the other schools leave," she shook her head.

"Something tells me they wouldn't mind," Ginny giggled. "You seem to be getting on with them alright."

"Yeah, the past couple of days. But that hardly makes for a lasting friendship."

"Yeah, well I'm just saying that I think you three make a lovely couple," she grinned playfully.

"Wouldn't couple only involve 2 people?" Hermione laughed. She had to admit, she loved talking to Ginny and being much more herself.

"Well trio then I guess," she shrugged, still laughing. "Although I suppose it'll be a quartet if you added Viktor Krum into the mix," she laughed even harder.

"Lets not get carried away now," she laughed.

"And what are you lovely ladies giggling about?" George and Fred walked up, putting an arm around each girl.

"You," Ginny laughed.

"Ah, of course."

"Might we ask what about?"

"Is it our ruggedly good looks?" George grinned.

"Definitely," Hermione smiled.

"We thought so," Fred grinned.

"So what do you two want?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing in particular. Just saw you giggling and thought we'd find out what it is that makes you laugh. For business purposes of course," George shrugged, smiling at his brother, who still had his arm lazily draped around Hermione's shoulders.

"Well then you'll be glad to know it's you we find so funny. Now please go away," Ginny smiled sweetly at them.

"Whatever you say, baby sister," George replied before the pair left.

"Hermione, will you please stop being mad at Ron? He can't control himself. But he doesn't mean to annoy you," Harry caught Hermione on the couch in the common room after dinner the following Friday.

"I'm sure he doesn't. But it doesn't change the fact that it bothers me," she continued looking at her book.

"Hermione. Come on. Put the book down and relax. Term is over. The ball is in a week. Aren't you going to tell us who you're going with?"

"No. Please don't ask again. And I'll stop ignoring him. But it's not as though he's made much effort to speak to me," she closed her book. Perhaps Harry was right about one thing. She should relax.

"Well it's not as though you've given him much chance either," he replied, trying not to sound like he was taking sides. "You've been off talking to the twins or at the library or with Ginny every free moment you have."

"Yeah, well none of them-" she stopped when she noticed Ron and Ginny walking through the portrait hole. Ron looked pale and was muttering to himself. She noticed Ginny keeping a hand on his shoulder gently as he sat down.

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione asked as she and Harry walked over to them.

"He's asked Fleur Delacour to the ball," Ginny replied.

"Why did I do it, mate? I don't know what came over me. She was standing there talking to Cedric and I just asked her," disbelief all over his face.

Hermione bit back a smile as Harry spoke. "Well she is part veela. I meant to tell you before, but we weren't speaking. Her grandmother was veela," Harry tried to make him feel better. "She was probably trying to get Diggory to go with her. But it doesn't matter. He's going with Cho," Harry looked sullen.

"How'd you know that?"

"Because I asked her," he replied quickly. The only person who seemed to notice Ginny's face change was Hermione.

"Well, mate, we have to go with someone. We can't be the only blokes without dates," Ron muttered. "Wait. Neville won't either. It's not so bad then," he tried to look optimistic.

"Actually-" Ginny piped in. "Neville's asked me. And I've said I'd go," her face was suddenly red. She walked off quickly, followed by Hermione.

Ron actually started to smile but then seemed to remember that it was just him and Harry who didn't have dates. "Well then mate, we have to find dates."

"Sure. Wait here a minute," he notice Lavender and Parvati come through the portrait hole, giggling. "Her Parvati, will you go to the ball with me?"

"Sure," she giggled.

"Lavender, would you go with Ron?" he asked, hopefully.

"I can't. I've already told Seamus I'd go with him," she smiled.

"Well, do you know anyone who'd go with him?" he whispered.

"I'll ask my sister," Parvati shrugged. "I don't think she has a date yet. And I'm sure she'd hate to go alone."

"Thanks Parvati," he smiled and walked back to his friend.